Despite it meant to be only a short duration discussion, the subject of education and the troubles this sector is experiencing took up plenty of time in the Assembly today.
All manner of teachers have protested (some on more than one occasion) in the past year over pay and Meghalaya has done poorly in several national rankings but Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui put on a brave face and tried to defend what many would say is the indefensible.
Rymbui struck out at past governments for not doing enough for the education sector and leaving it to the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to act. He also effectively told the MLAs in the Assembly to put their money where their mouth is and vote for an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for the education sector as a huge chunk of what is budgeted goes on teachers’ salaries. Some 85 per cent of the department’s Rs 2,570 crore budget is spent on teacher salaries alone (not including SSA teachers), he informed.
The minister said that the government aims to improve three parameters – training of teachers, curriculum and infrastructure.
Concerning the low pass percentage in Garo Hills, which is below 40 per cent, Rymbui said that his department has formed a committee to study the reasons behind this and the report has been submitted and its recommendations will be implemented.
One of the necessary factors for quality education is the teachers and Rymbui said that the government did the right thing in insisting on the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET), even though some teachers have opposed it.
“In the past, no one took a decision on the mandatory teacher test but we did. Yes, some teachers could not continue their teaching but members forget the fact that more than 1,300 regular teachers got jobs,” the minister said. “We should not only look at one side of the story. It is easy for us to dramatise and shed crocodile tears but we forget that at some point, we have to make a decision and we took it and I am happy that the High Court also reaffirmed the decision taken by the government.”
Rymbui also touted the government’s achievements in infrastructure creation, saying that more than 250 additional school buildings and 208 secondary and higher secondary schools will be upgraded and constructed in the first phase, with another 110 slated for the second phase.
However, opposition legislator George Lyngdoh criticised Rymbui for not addressing the matter of the state’s poor educational rankings, the termination of contractual teachers (who are currently protesting in front of the Secretariat) and the recent imbroglio over the Pine Mount School principal.
WHAT THE OTHERS SAID
George Lyngdoh – “We need this discussion to understand what plagues our education system. Do we have the correct approach towards our education sector? There are government schools without teachers as recruitment is under process, teachers who have to attend four-five classes as their fellow teachers have not been appointed or have been sent for other duties. We have witnessed how teachers have come to the streets to demand for their salaries, which is demeaning for this august house. Students are demanding better toilets and better administration. Why are days becoming bleaker and bleaker for our education sector?”
Himalaya Shangpliang – “Teachers are on strike very frequently these days. We see teachers more in the streets than the classrooms. CM had said as per media reports in December 2021 that the state will spend Rs 2,000 crore every year for education purposes. We are nowhere compared to North East states when it comes to education. Please get the money first from the Centre and then assure. Don’t make promises without having money in your hand.”
Adelbert Nongrum – “We should be ashamed of ourselves if we turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the teachers who had to come out in protest to demand their salaries. It will be the most heartbreaking visual we will remember in the year 2022 when we think of the government’s failure in addressing the problems faced by teachers.”
Zenith Sangma – “We can see there are numerous problems to be addressed by the government of the day, starting from the problems faced by teachers, students, managing committees, infrastructure, teachers of different categories not getting salaries – never before have we seen this magnitude of agony in the teachers’ community.”
PT Sawkmie – “50 years have gone by and the time has come for a positive approach. It is high time that the state should have more education institutions. We have many higher secondary schools but few colleges. We need more colleges, we need good policies and programmes. It is high time we have our own university. The Education Department has to pull up its socks.”
Rakkam Sangma – “Everyone should shoulder the responsibility. Look back over the past 50 years, how many IAS and IPS officers, doctors, engineers and scientists have we produced? It is not what we expect. We could have done better, could have produced more. This sector is not only the government’s responsibility but everybody’s to shoulder so that children will become someone tomorrow.”
